An architect, industrial designer, philosopher and provocateur, Ettore Sottsass led a revolution in the aesthetics and technology of modern design in the late 20th century. He was a wild man of the Radical Design movement that swept Italy in the late 1960s and ’70s, rejecting rationalism and modernism in favor of ever-more outrageous imaginings in lighting and furniture such as mirrors, lamps, chairs and tables.
Sottsass was the oldest member of the Memphis Group — a design collective, formed in Milan in 1980, whose irreverent, spirited members included Alessandro Mendini, Michele de Lucchi, Michael Graves and Shiro Kuramata. All had grown disillusioned by the staid, black-and-brown “corporatized” modernism that had become endemic in the 1970s. Memphis (the name stemmed from the title of a Bob Dylan song) countered with bold, brash, colorful, yet quirkily minimal designs for furniture, glassware, ceramics and metalwork.
The Memphis Group mocked high-status by building furniture with inexpensive materials such as plastic laminates, decorated to resemble exotic finishes such as animal skins. Their work was both functional and — as intended — shocking.
Even as it preceded the Memphis Group's formal launch, Sottsass's iconic Ultrafragola mirror — in its conspicuously curved plastic shell and radical pops of pink neon — embodies many of the collective's postmodern ideals.
Sottsass created innovative furnishings for the likes of Artemide, Knoll, Zanotta and Poltronova, where he reigned as artistic director for nearly two decades beginning in 1958. His most-recognized designs appeared in the first Memphis collection, issued in 1981 — notably the multihued, angular Carlton room divider and Casablanca bookcase. As pieces on 1stDibs demonstrate, however, Sottsass is at his most inspired and expressive in smaller, secondary furnishings such as lamps and chandeliers, and in table pieces and glassware that have playful and sculptural qualities.
Sottsass left the Memphis Group in 1985 in order to concentrate on the growth of Sottsass Associati, a design and architecture consultancy he cofounded in 1980.
It was as an artist that Sottsass was celebrated in his life, in exhibitions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in 2006, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art a year later. Even then Sottsass’s work prompted critical debate. And for a man whose greatest pleasure was in astonishing, delighting and ruffling feathers, perhaps there was no greater accolade. That the work remains so revolutionary and bold — that it breaks with convention so sharply it will never be considered mainstream — is a testament to his genius.
Find Ettore Sottsass lighting, decorative objects and furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
ETTORE SOTTSASS "Portal" 18ct gold single earring, 2002
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Bruxelles, BE
“Portal” Single earring Collection “La Seduzione” 18 ct gold 12,6 g 2002 Edited by CLETO MUNARI Limited edition of 9 + 1AP In the early 1980s, Italian designer Cleto Munari develop...
18k Gold
$80,102 / set
L 2.96 in
Fairies Earrings in 18ct White Gold with 8.95ct White Diamonds Sybarite Jewell
By Sybarite Jewellery
Located in London, GB
Discover Sybarite’s Fairies Earrings in white gold with 8.95ct diamonds. A magical tribute to day, night, and the multifaceted beauty of femininity. Sybarite "Fairies" Dangle Earring...
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
$10,890Sale Price|44% Off
NWT $19, 800 Rare 18KT Gold 18CT Fancy Aquamarine Diamond Dangle Drop Earrings
Located in New York, NY
The Following Items we are offering are a Rare Important Pair of Spectacular and Beautiful IMPORTANT & EXQUISITE 18KT Gold Large Gorgeous Aquamarine and and Diamond Dangle Earrings. ...
Diamond, Aquamarine, Gold, 18k Gold, Platinum
Vintage 18ct Gold Diamond Stud Earrings
Located in Brighton, GB
Vintage Diamond Stud Earrings 18ct Yellow & White Gold Beautiful Little Rub Over Set Diamond Stud Earrings. Set with Old European Cut Diamonds from an Old Antique Brooch...
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
$80,102 / set
L 2.96 in
Sybarite Jewelry Fairies Dangle Earrings 18ct Yellow Gold with 12.17ct Diamonds
By Sybarite Jewellery
Located in London, GB
Sybarite Jewellery is a London-based luxury brand crafting outstanding pieces, incomparable both in design and in execution. Spearheaded by founder Margarita Prykhodko, a former arch...
White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
$1,200 / set
Pair of Croc Tail Huggies in 18ct Rose Gold
Located in Brisbane, AU
These pint-sized prodigies are a fierce addition to the ear. Sharp spikes on the outer and subtle croc filagree on the inner earring seal the haute adornment. Every OHLIGUER jewel i...
18k Gold, Rose Gold
18ct Yellow Gold Citrine Drop Earrings
Located in London, GB
A beautiful pair of drop earrings crafted in solid 18ct yellow gold, each set with a matching natural citrine. The elegant drop design allows the gemstones to catch the light, showc...
Citrine, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
$9,960Sale Price|40% Off
NWT $16, 600 18KT Gold 18CT Fancy Aquamarine Diamond Purple Sapphire Earrings
Located in New York, NY
The Following Items we are offering are a Rare Important Pair of Spectacular and Beautiful IMPORTANT & EXQUISITE 18KT Gold Large Gorgeous Aquamarine and and Diamond Dangle Earrings. ...
Aquamarine, Diamond, Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
18ct Yellow Gold Diamond Stud Earrings
Located in Sydney, NSW
18CT Yellow Gold Diamond Cluster Earrings In timeless 18CT yellow gold, the earrings feature bright round brilliant cut diamonds in a floral shaped cluster and feature post backs wi...
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
18ct Yellow Gold Amethyst Drop Earrings
Located in London, GB
A beautiful pair of drop earrings crafted in solid 18ct yellow gold, each set with a matching natural amethyst. The elegant drop design allows the gemstones to catch the light, show...
Amethyst, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari 18ct White Gold Astrale Earrings 21.43g
By Bulgari
Located in SYDNEY, NSW
These rare Bvlgari Astrale earrings are crafted in luxurious 18ct white gold, embodying the brand’s signature balance of elegance and bold design. Each earring showcases a radiant mu...
18k Gold, White Gold
18ct & 22ct Gold Vintage Earrings
Located in London, GB
A Pair of Rare Exquisite Handcrafted 22ct Gold Earrings with 18ct Gold Hooks Earrings are stamped 916 on the inside of each main heart and the hooks have ...
18k Gold, 22k Gold
18CT White Gold Diamond Stud Earrings
Located in Sydney, NSW
18CT White Gold Diamond Cluster Earrings Crafted in timeless 18ct white gold, these earrings are set with bright round brilliant cut diamonds and feature post backs with rubber clas...
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold